Rechargeable battery

Abstract

A rechargeable battery including an electrode assembly that is chargeable and dischargeable, the electrode assembly including a first assembly portion and a second assembly portion; a case accommodating the electrode assembly therein; a cap plate coupled to the case; and an electrode terminal group connected to the electrode assembly through a lead tab, the electrode terminal group being in a terminal hole of the cap plate, wherein the electrode terminal group includes three electrode terminals that are selectively connected to first electrodes and second electrodes of the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rechargeable battery, comprising:
 an electrode assembly that is chargeable and dischargeable, the electrode assembly including a first assembly portion and a second assembly portion; 
 a case accommodating the electrode assembly therein; 
 a cap plate coupled to the case; and 
 an electrode terminal group connected to the electrode assembly through a lead tab, the electrode terminal group being in a terminal hole of the cap plate, 
 wherein the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion include an integrally connected first electrode common to the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion, the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion each include respective second electrodes, and the electrode terminal group includes three electrode terminals that are respectively connected to the first electrode and the second electrodes of the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electrode assembly includes:
 a first electrode uncoated region and 
 second electrode uncoated regions spaced apart from the first electrode uncoated region and at lateral sides of the electrode assembly. 
 
     
     
       3. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first electrode uncoated region is a negative electrode uncoated region of the integrally connected first electrode common to the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion, and 
 the second electrode uncoated regions of the respective second electrodes include:
 a first positive electrode uncoated region of the first assembly portion, and 
 a second positive electrode uncoated region of the second assembly portion. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the lead tab is a plurality of lead tabs and the three electrode terminals include:
 a negative electrode terminal that is connected to the negative electrode uncoated region through a negative electrode lead tab of the plurality of lead tabs; 
 a first positive electrode terminal that is connected to the first positive electrode uncoated region through a first positive electrode lead tab of the plurality of lead tabs; and 
 a second positive electrode terminal that is connected to the second positive electrode uncoated region through a second positive electrode lead tab of the plurality of lead tabs. 
 
     
     
       5. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the negative terminal has a first thickness, 
 the first positive electrode terminal has a second thickness, 
 the second positive electrode terminal has the same second thickness, and 
 the first thickness is greater than or equal to the second thickness. 
 
     
     
       6. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first assembly portion is between the negative electrode uncoated region and the first positive electrode uncoated region, and 
 the second assembly portion is between the negative electrode uncoated region and the second positive electrode uncoated region. 
 
     
     
       7. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first electrode:
 is connected to the negative electrode uncoated region, and 
 includes an eleventh coated region of the first assembly portion and a twelfth coated region of the second assembly portion. 
 
     
     
       8. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the second electrode includes:
 a first coated region that is connected to the first positive electrode uncoated region of the first assembly portion, and 
 a second coated region that is connected to the second positive electrode uncoated region of the second assembly portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first assembly portion includes separators, the separators including an eleventh separator and a twelfth separator between the eleventh coated region of the first electrode and the first coated region of the second electrode that are layered. 
     
     
       10. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the second assembly portion includes separators, the separators including a twenty-first separator and a twenty-second separator between the twelfth coated region of the first electrode and the second coated region of the second electrode that are layered. 
     
     
       11. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first assembly portion includes separators, the separators including an eleventh separator and a twelfth separator between the eleventh coated region of the first electrode and the first coated region of the second electrode that are spirally wound. 
     
     
       12. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the second assembly portion includes separators, the separators including a twenty-first separator and a twenty-second separator between the twelfth coated region of the first electrode and the second coated region of the second electrode that are spirally wound. 
     
     
       13. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of the three electrode terminals is commonly connected to the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion by the first electrode, and the other two of the three electrode terminals are respectively connected to the first assembly portion or the second assembly portion by the respective second electrodes.